Circuit-interrupter system



Jung; 192a. 1,539,864

A. J. A. PETERsoN ET AL CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER SYSTEM Filed March 13, 1924 INVENTORS. Alfred J. A. Peterson. Fioglvd B. Kmskem.

WITNESSES:

Patented June 2, 1925.

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Apphnation filedMamh 13, 1924 Serial NO. 698 889.

To all whom it mag panorama Be it known that e, ALFRED J A) PI liFER soN, a. citizen of the United?states andv a resident offivilkinsburg; in the county, of Allegheny: and' State of Pennsylvania, and

ELoYo B. Kialslinniv, acitiZen of the United States, and a resident of. VViikinsbhrq, in the county of Allegheny and fSt ate of? Gun rsylvania,-v.have invented: ainevv and useful Improvementv in. Circuit-Interrupter Systerms, of which the following is aspecificik tion. p

Our inventionrelates to circuit interrupter systems and particularly, to the contro] of the operatingmotoi: ofl'the system.

One object'of our invention is to provide asystem of'circuit interrupter-s that are actuated in common by a motor that shalI- have 1 means for automatically, regulatin g the electrical 1 energy supplied: tow the motor in accordance with the number of circuit. interrupters thatiarertobe actuatediataany given time. V y i p I Another objecto f ourinvention is to provide a: circuit interrupter system, in which a singlemotor is'emaployedvtoselcctively ac.- tuate. anyone or all ot a group ,ofi circuitcinterrupters,-that.shall have means for auto.- maticall yregulating. the current supplied to the motor in accordance with theenumberi of circuit interrupters that are be moved twin-theiropen to-their: closed position i at any given time" It iscalso' an object of our invention to provide a circuit interrupter system, in which one or morev circuit interrupters are simultaneously operated] from a" single moitor, that shall have lIlGfllIS-f to controllthe energy input to that motor in accordance withthe number of circuit interrupter-s to he i actuated, therebyelimimlting overloadingof the lIlOtOl. V I

It is-a further object oflour invention to provide a circuit interruptersystem that shall be ope-rated by a single motor, the energysupplied to which is: automatically controlledqby the number.- ofcircuiti interrupt.- ers to be moved at any given time.-

The present application is: an: improvement oven the: oir'cuiti interrupter system shown described in v the cope-noting: ap plication of A. J. A. Peterson, Serial No. 6815785 filed'Dec. 20, 1923, and which is assigned to" the WVestinghouse Electric &

ti'on there is shown anddescribediva' media? I nis'in rm; connecting; any one or all of" a groupof circuit interru oters to a common operating mechanismfl 1 iat applicationde-- scrib eS, in detail; the mechanical an'd elec+ trical'disposition of parts necessary to accomplish the desired results.-

In accordance With the present invention, Weplace a variable resistor in circuitiwith: the motor-and connectsectionsofthe resis-' tor to the several circuitinterrupters in such manner that a section of the resistor isshort-circuitedwhen any one ofithecircuit interrupters is in its open position thereby permittingan increased amountof energyto be applied to the motor. 'Provision is also made for interrupting thecircu-iti connections necessary to the foregoing objects when it is dsiredithat any one oflthe cir-, ouit interrupters shalIb'e lockeddn its open position. F

The single figure ofthe accompanying drawingis a diagrammatic vievviofcircuits and i apparatus embodying our invention.

Our invention comprises, in general, a plurality of circuit interrupters 1, 2 and 3', that'control electrical distribution circuits 4, the several circuit interruptersb'eing provided \vithnlechanism forcoiiti'ollingtheir connection to a commoiroperating shaft 5', and the electromagnettor motor The I110 tor 61'is connected in circuit'vvith-a variable resistor 7 'f comprising sections 8, 9' and 11 that areconnected tothe different "circuit interrupters 1, .2 ancl'S, in such mannen that the amount. of resistance in series connectionavith: the motor '6 is dependentupon the number of' circuit interrupters that are in theirclosed. position. I

Eachrof the circuit interrupters'l, .ZQand 3 is provided with :a-hridging, member. 12 that engages stationary contact members 13 when the circuit interm pter v is inv its closed position A link mechanisur 1%,; terminatingi in'alatch 15 supports and actuates the bridging member 12.1 An arm 15 is. connectedito the shaft Mandavhenthe arm .is in engagement With-the latch 15, vit serves to actuate the bridging, member 12.. into/ en t ga-gement with thewstationary. contact memhers-1? A- tripping. device 17- that maybe controlled'either manually by aha ndle 18, or electrically bya remotely; located switch 19, is connected to each of the latching mechanisms 15. Similarly, a lock-out mechanism 21 having a handle 22 for manual operation, a remotely disposed switch 23 for the electrical control thereof and a spring biasing latch 24 is associated with each of the arms 16. A releasing electromagnet 25 that is remotely controlled, as by a switch 26, is provided for tripping each of the latch mechanisms 24. Each electro-' magnet may be provided with a handle for the manual operation thereof, if desired. Springs 27 and 28 are provided for normally keeping the latch members 15 in engagement with the arms 16, respectively, unless they are prevented from so doing by the operation of the mechanisms 17 and 21, respectively.

The motor 6 is shown in the accompanying drawing in the form of an electromagnet that breaks its own circuit by a pilot switch 31 at the limits of its movement of the shaft 5. It is obvious that a rotating motor may be substituted for the electromagnet by changing the connection to the shaft 5. In any event, the 'form of the motor employed does not materially effect the objects of the present invention.

Mounted on the link mechanisms 14 of the circuit interrupter-s 1, 2 and 3, are back contact switches 34, 35 and 36, respectively, that are adapted to short circuit the sections 8, 9 and 11, respectively, of the resistor 7 in accordance with which of the circuit interrupters 1, 2 and 3 are in their open position.

Each of the lock-out mechanisms 21 is provided with av switch 37 comprising a stationary contact member 38, and a movable contact member 39 carried by the mechanism 21. The circuits between the associated contact switches 34, 35 and 36 and the resistor sections 8, 9 and 11, respectively, are broken by the switch 37 when any circuit interrupter 1, 2 or 3 is latched in its open position, thereby placing the corresponding sections of resistor 7 in series with the motor 6. Conductors 41 and 42 constitute a direct current source of energy for operating the motor 6 and the several coils included in devices 17, 21 and 25.

Assuming the circuitinterrupters 1, 2 and 3 to be in their open position, as shown in the accompanaying drawing, a circuit is completed from the conductor 41, through the back contact switch 36, the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 3, contact switch 35, the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 2, contact switch 34 and the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 1, through the switch 31 and the motor 6 to the conductor 42, whereupon the motor 6 is operated to rock the shaft 5 in a counter-clockwise direction. This movement actuates the circuit interrupters 1, 2 and 3 into their closed positions, where they are held by the link mechanism 14, as described in the above-mentioned copending application.

When the circuit interruptcrs 1, 2 and 3 have moved into their closed positions, the several contact switches 34, 35 and36 are moved to their open positions, whereupon a circuit is completed from the conductor 41, through sections 11, 9 and 8 of the resistor 7, the switch 31 and the motor 6 of the couductor 42. It will thus be seen that the entire resistor 7 is inserted in series with the motor 6 when all the circuit interruptcrs are in their closed position. iVhile we have shown but three circuit interrupter-s connected to the shaft 5, it may be understood that this number may be varied indefinitely.

Assuming the circuit interrupters 1 and 3 to be in their closed position and that it is desired to close the circuit interrupter 2, circuit is completed that extends from the conductor 41, through the section 11 of the resistor 7, contact switch 35, the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 2, section 8 of the resistor 7, switch 31 and the motor 6 to the conductor 42. Upon the next rocking movement of the shaft 5, the circuit interrupter 2 is drawn into its closed position and the contact switch 35 is opened. hen any one of the circuit interrupters 1, 2 and 3 moves to its open position from any cause whatsoever, the associated contact switch 34, 35 or 36 is automatically closed, thereby short circuiting the appropriate section or seetionsof the resistor 7.

Assuming the circuit interrupter 3 to be in its closed position, and the circuit interrupter 2 to be locked in its open position, and the circuit interrupter 1 in its open position, an incompleted circuit extends from the conductor 41 through the section 11, and e the contact switch 35 to the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 2, but since the lock-out mechanism 21 of the circuit interrupter 2 is latched in its open position, the foregoing circuit is broken between the contact members 38 and 39 of switch 37, which in effect places the section 9 in series circuit to the motor 6. The completed circuit, therefore, extends from the conductor 41, through sections 11 and 9 of the resistor 7, the contact switch 34, the switch 37 of the circuit interrupter 1, the switch 31 and the motor 6 to the conductor 42. The circuit interrupter 1 is thereupon moved into its closed position.

It will thus be observed that provision is made for short circuiting those port ions 0!. the resistor 7 that are associated with the circuit interrupters that are open and not locked out.

By this invention, we are able to operate indefinite number of circuit interrupters rrom a single motor without overloading the operating motor.

Various modifications may be made in the, device embodying our invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and We desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination, a plurality of circuit intcrru-pters, a connnon actuating mechanism therefor comprising a motor, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of the circuit interrupters to the actu ating mechanism, an impedance device in circuit with said motor and means for varying the effective value of the impedance device in accordance with the operative positions of said circuit interrupters.

2. In combination, aplurality of circuit interrupters, a common actuating mechanism therefor comprising a motor, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of the circuit interrupter-s to the actuating mechanism, an impedance device in circuit with said motor and means for varywith the operative circuit interrupter.

4. In combination, a plurality of circuit interrupters, a common actuating mechanism therefor comprising a motor, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of the circuit interrupters to the actuating mechanism, a resistor in circuit with said motor, and a switch associated with each of the circuit interrupters for shortcircuiting portions of said resistor in accordance with the number of circuit interrupters that are in their open position.

5. In combination, a plurality of circuit interrupters, common actuating mechanism therefor co-n'iprising a motor, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of the circuit interrupter-s to the actuating mechanism, a resistor in circuit with said motor, and a switch associated with each of the circuit interrupters for short circuiting portions of said resistor in accordance with the number of circuit interrupters that are'in their open position and a second switch associated with the lockout mechanism of each circuit interrupter for interrupting the circuit connections established by the first named switch when the circuit interrupter is locked in its open position.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 26th day of February, 1924.

ALFRED J. A. PETERSON. FLOYD B. KNISKERN.

position of the associated 

